Outlet box support



1956 B. P. MOKINLEY 2,732,162

OUTLET BOX SUPPORT Filed Feb. 2, 1953 INVENTOR. 9 gdmm 1 Mckizzlgy BY flm 26/ 225 All 2 0177693 United States Patent OUTLET Box SUPPORT Benjamin P. McKinley, Evanston, Ill. Application February 2, 1953, Serial No. 334,558 3 Claims. Cl. 248-343) This invention relates to improvements in outlet box supports.

One object of the invention is to provide an outlet box support which can readily be fastened in place between adjacent studs or ceiling joists of a new building structure, said support being provided with means whereby an outlet box can be snapped into attached position and adjusted longitudinally of the support to the desired location and thereupon tightened in the final position for receiving the end portions of the electrical wiring which supplies current to the box.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a telescopic bracket or support which can be adjusted as to length for placement between two supports, as joists, studs or the like, and can be readily secured in position for receiving an outlet box.

Another object of the invention is to provide an outlet box supporting bracket which is telescopically adjustable as to length and which is provided with an outlet box supporting member to which the box can be attached with a snap action and thereafter adjusted with the box lengthwise of the support to a final position and thereupon tightened in final position on the bracket.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings which disclose structure which is illustrative of the present improvements.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvements mounted in position between a pair of adjacent studs or like structural members;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, an outlet box in full lines being shown in supported position;

Fig. 3 is a broken enlarged sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2 illustrating in elevation the form of the free ends of the telescopic bracket members by means of which the bracket is attached in position between studs or the like as shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 6 is a broken sectional elevation of a slide mounted on the bracket and which supports a shell to which an outlet box can be secured with a snap action;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shell in detached relation; and

Fig. 8 is an end view of the shell and slide.

In the improvements shown in the drawings, a bracket, indicated generally by numeral 10, for supporting a conventional outlet box 11 is shown as comprising a pair of sheet metal telescopic sections 12 and 13, each generally of triangular cross sectional form and one slidable longitudinally within the other. The outer ends of the sections are turned at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the respective sections to provide similar mounting flanges 14, each having an integral ear 15 turned into parallelism with the flange. Each car 15 and the respective flange are provided with aligned apertures carrying a nail 16 swagged at the pointed end sufliciently to prevent accidental displacement of the nail from the openings. Each flange 14 is shown as provided with two integral studs 17, sharpened at the ends. The studs and the pointed end of the nail of each flange extend outwardly and provide means for ready anchorage of the bracket in position between studs 18, 18 or the like by a workman, a hammer being the only tool required.

The bracket 10 also is provided withan outlet box supporting means which enables a workman to snap the box into supported engagement on the bracket, adjust the box longitudinally of the bracket to the desired position between the supports 18, 18, and then, by tightening a single screw, to lock the assembly firmly in position. The means mentioned comprises a slide 19 and a shell 20 respectively shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The slide 19 is die formed of a single piece of sheet metal preferably, and comprises a pair of semicylindrical arms 21, each apertured at 22 and integrally joined at the lower ends by a base 23 having a central threaded opening 24. The apertures 22 receive the bracket members 12 and 13 freely and enable the slide to be shifted longitudinally of the bracket until clamped thereto as later described.

The shell 20 comprises an externally threaded cylindrical lower section 25, a frusto-conical or flaring section 26 and two upper wing sections 27, 27. The wings 27 are semicylindrical and are in diametrically opposed relation and spaced apart circumferentially of the shell. The diameter of the wing sections of the shell is slightly greater than the diameter of the slide 19 whereby the shell can be moved into the position shown in Fig. 3. The shell is provided with a spring member 28 comprising a disc shaped base 29 which snugly fits within the shell at the upper end of the frusto-conical section 26 and is provided with two opposed outwardly flaring spring arms or clips 30 of less height than the wings 27 and disposed in the spaces between the wings 27, 27. The spring base 29 is retained firmly in position within the shell by suitable means, such as by staking as shown in Fig. 4 at 31.

A screw 32 passes freely through an opening in the lower end of the shell and through a central opening in the disc shaped spring base and into threaded engagement with the threaded opening 24 of the slide 19. The screw 32 not only secures the shell to the slide, but merely by tightening the screw, the workman locks the slide 19, shell 20 and the box in final position on the bracket as later described.

The spring clips 30 flare outwardly suificiently whereby the free upper ends are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of an opening 33 formed by removing a knock-out disc in the end of the conventional box 11. After the attachment of the bracket 10 to the supports, such as the studs 18 or the like, a workman presses a box 11 over the shell 20 which then is relatively loosely supported on the slide 19 by the untightened screw 32. The spring clips 30 are compressed inwardly slightly by the margins of the opening 33 and as the base of the box passes beyond the clips, they spring outwardly under the margin of the opening for supporting the box, as shown in Fig. 3. The workman can then shift the box and the box supporting shell and the slide longitudinally of the bracket to the desired position and then tighten the screw 32. In tightening the screw, the shell is moved upwardly, forcing the box upwardly against the bracket and tending to draw the bracket downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 3, thereby firmly clamping the box to the bracket. The wings 27 prevent rotation of the shell as the screw is tightened or released.

The externally threaded cylindrical portion 25 of the shell is adapted to receive an internally threaded nut-like fixture support where the box is mounted in a ceiling, for example. By reason of the use of a spring member 28 which is non-integral with the shell, the sheet metal of which the shell is formed need not be flexible as would be required were the wings 27 formed as integral parts of the shell, but the shell material may be of sutficiently heavy gauge that the threads of portion 25 can be of adequate depth to afford full engagement with the threads of a fixture supporting nut or the like. The disclosed device is thus of sturdy construction adequately capable of supporting the weight of the attached fixture. Preferably the two bracket members 11 and 12 are telescoped together with the slide 19 and shell 20 loosely in position thereon and the nails 16 in place as the unit is packaged at the factory. The assembled unit as removed from the package thus is ready for attachment between supports 18, 18 or the like as will be seen.

While I have shown and described a specific structure which is illustrative of the improvement, various alterations in the details of the structure may be made without departure from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an outlet box support, a slide member having a transverse passage for receiving a supporting bracket and movable along the same and having a threaded screw receiving opening therein, a shell comprising a threaded cylindrical end portion for supporting a fixture, and a shell-supporting screw extending axially through the shell into threaded engagement with the threaded opening of said slide member, said shell being provided with a pair of diametrically opposed and circumferentially spaced apart wing sections integral with. said cylindrical threaded portion for continually engaging opposed sides of said supporting bracket for preventing rotation of the shell when said shell is supported by said bracket and a pair of outwardly flaring spring members each disposed between adjacent sides of said wing members and sufiiciently flexible to be compressible at their upper ends to enable snap engagement with the margins of a shell-receiving opening of an outlet box passed over said shell and adapted to press the box against said supporting bracket as the screw is tightened.

2. In an outlet box support, a slide member adapted for support by a supporting bracket and provided with a threaded opening therein, a shell having an externally threaded end portion for supporting a fixture and a pair of diametrically opposed and circumferentially spaced apart wing sections for spanning said supporting bracket and in continual contact therewith for preventing rotation of the shell relative to the bracket when said shell is supported by said bracket, a screw extending axially through the shell into engagement with the threaded opening of said slide for supporting the shell, and a pair of diametrically opposed spring clips carried by the shell and each located in a space between said wing sections and flaring outwardly of the shell and sufficiently flexible to be compressible at their upper ends to enable snap engagement with the margin of a shell-receiving opening of an outlet box pressed over the shell for clamping the box against said supporting bracket as the screw is tightened.

3. In an outlet box support, a slide having a transverse passage for receiving a supporting bracket and provided with a threaded opening for receiving a shell supporting screw, a shell provided with an externally threaded cylindrical end portion for engagement by a fixture supporting means and provided with a pair of spaced apart Wing sections adapted to span said supporting bracket and in continual contact therewith for preventing rotation of the shell relative to said supporting bracket when said shell is supported by said bracket, a screw extending axially of the shell into engagement with said threaded opening in the slide for securing the shell to the slide, and a separate spring member secured to the shell and provided with outwardly flaring spring clips disposed in diametrically opposed relation in the spaces between said wing sections and adapted to be inwardly compressed by engagement with the margin of a shell-receiving opening of an outlet box passed over the shell and to snap outwardly beneath said margin for supporting the box and pressing the same into clamped relation against said supporting bracket as said screw is tightened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,133,535 Cain et a1 Mar. 30, 1915 1,135,699 Knauber Apr. 13, 1915 1,694,707 Johnson Dec. 11, 1928 2,260,829 Carlson Oct. 28, 1941 2,269,228 Rugg Ian. 6, 1942 2,380,793 Rugg July 31, 1945 2,461,025 Beck Feb. 8, 1949 2,503,084 White et a1 Apr. 4, 1950 2,528,418 Buckles Oct. 31, 1950 2,667,200 Bedford, Jr. Jan. 26, 1954 

